Alabama lawyer blasts Ga. county over water use

Georgia’s Lake Allatoona is shown at Red Top Mountain State Park in Cartersville in this December 2005 photo.

AP file photo

The Associated Press

Published: Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 1, 2013 at 10:46 p.m.

MONTGOMERY | Alabama’s lawyer in the ongoing water battle involving three states says a county that includes many of Atlanta’s suburbs is taking more water than it is allowed.

Attorney Matt Lembke on Thursday told the Alabama Water Resources Commission that Cobb County is violating its water permit.

Alabama, Georgia and Florida have been embroiled for 25 years in disputes over water from rivers and lakes in the region. Lembke accuses Cobb County of taking too much water from Lake Allatoona.

Cobb County has drawn more water than it’s allowed for several years in a row, Lembke said.

He added that in times when the water is low, such as the 2007 drought, that drawdown has cost Alabama money by requiring industrial uses and water authorities to adapt to the low water levels.

The Anniston Star reports (http://bit.ly/16SgN9B) that in a telephone interview, Cobb County Water Authority General Manager Glenn Page disputed most of Lembke’s claims. Page said the county did exceed its authorized amount of water from Allatoona in a couple of drought years, but didn’t draw more than the allowed amount most years.

<p>MONTGOMERY | Alabama's lawyer in the ongoing water battle involving three states says a county that includes many of Atlanta's suburbs is taking more water than it is allowed. </p><p>Attorney Matt Lembke on Thursday told the Alabama Water Resources Commission that Cobb County is violating its water permit. </p><p>Alabama, Georgia and Florida have been embroiled for 25 years in disputes over water from rivers and lakes in the region. Lembke accuses Cobb County of taking too much water from Lake Allatoona. </p><p>Cobb County has drawn more water than it's allowed for several years in a row, Lembke said. </p><p>He added that in times when the water is low, such as the 2007 drought, that drawdown has cost Alabama money by requiring industrial uses and water authorities to adapt to the low water levels. </p><p>The Anniston Star reports (http://bit.ly/16SgN9B) that in a telephone interview, Cobb County Water Authority General Manager Glenn Page disputed most of Lembke's claims. Page said the county did exceed its authorized amount of water from Allatoona in a couple of drought years, but didn't draw more than the allowed amount most years. </p><p>———</p><p>Information from: The Anniston Star, http://www.annistonstar.com/</p>